Spring cushion



Nov. 10, 1925. 60.588

W. LEWIS SPRING CUSHION Filed Feb. 21. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l W. LEWIS SPRING cvsuxon Nov. 10 1925- Filed Feb. 21. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENTOR .7 firr RNEYS .the

Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

\VILLIAM LEWIS, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

SEEING CUSHION.

Application filed February 21,, 1924.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIA Imwrs, a citizen of the United States of America, of Utica, in the county of Oneida, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring Cushions, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to spring cushions for the seats," backs, sides. and other portions of upholstered articles where resiliency is required, although it is equally applicable for use in mattresses and analogousarticles.

In order to produce the desired resiliency to enable the upholstcring to readily conform to different portions; of the body resting thereon, it is preferable to use comparatively light coil springs arranged in close juxtaposition and usually in straight rows throughout the area to be, upholstered with their axes parallelism and their opposite ends in. parallel, planes, and one of the main objects of the present. invention is to assemb-le the coil spring units in suchmanner as to' resist the overlapping of the: helices of adjacent springs by lateral or side thrust pressure and to stifilen the entigrecassenibly eee es ie i eet .let re re erees? ut in anyway sacrificing a nal of the individualsprings: or any se lhmati ns ie oli 'I have v fonnrl that this object may best be out by covering tent endsof the springs with suitable strri or o fabric and by folding portions of one or both. strips of sheets, lengthwise arse-1n betweenv adJa-eent sidesiof' the springs thereby proyidingintervening double tltiicini es; of the fabric to prevent contact of inetal springspnewith the, other, and also toprevent the; overlapping of the helicesof "ads jacent springs, a l of which cq ltributes to the production of acomparanvu noiseless and whollyresilient unit.

Another object is. to. double-sl: ueathnv the springs preferably in straight rows and; to

arrange said sheaths so that one, with a.

row of springs therein may be easily and quickly inserted; in another sheath.

other words, one of the objects is to assemble: a. row of. springs of any suitable length in the, cells of as cellular fabric element in. such manner, that they. will be retained" in; their, individual cells and then to insert these. spring-containing elements into Serial No. 694,285.

cells of another cellular fabric structure of any suitable length or width whereby the ends of the springs will be covered with double thicknesses of the fabric which together with the double thickness, lengthwise folds between the springs assures a strong but flexible bond between the several spring units throughout the area of the upholstered surface.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the structure will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1, isa perspective view of a spring cushion embodying various features of my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged vertical sec tional views of portions of thespring cush ion taken in the planes of lines 2 2 and 3-3, Figure 1.

Figures i and 5 are perspective views of the collapsed fabric elements stitched to form the cellular structures for receiving the springs as shown in Figures 1-, 2 and 3, the springs being omitted.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of portions of the cellular structures shown in Figure 1 illustrating thepreferrecl manner of sembling the cellular spring-containing elements into the cells or loops of the outer sheathing element.

Figure 7 is a, pers ective, view similar to Figure 6, except t at the cellular outer sheathing element; isrnade in sections, each containing. a multiplicity of cells, those of each section being alined itheach other for receiving the springrcontainijng sections.

In, the preferred former invention shown Figunes L to 6 i nclu'sivc; I provided an outer sheathing 1,- and an inner sheathing 2 the outer sheathing -1- being coin osed; of similar sheets or layers l," of burlaps or other suitable fabric of suliicient areawhen the springs are assernbled therein to cover the area which it is desired to upholstcr. 7

These fabrics or sheaths are. placed flatwise onefupon the otherpandi stitched or otherwise secured together along parallel lines 3, uniform distances apart toform intervening parallel: loops or cells i of sufficientcross sectional size to receive a corresponding number of rows of more or less distended coil springs 5- and their supporting: sheaths as 2--.

The sheaths 2 are prefembl made of greater than the diameters of the ends of the springs -5- so that when the individual springs are inserted in the loops the opposite walls thereof will cover the ends of the springs.

That is, after the opposed layers of the sheathing --=2-- have been stitched together in the manner described to form the loops l, the opposite walls of each loop are spread apart and the corresponding spring -5- is slightly compressed sufficient to be easily inserted in the open loop, each loop being similarly equipped with one of the springs until the entire sheath is filled.

After the springs have been properly inserted in their respective loops %L-, they are allowed to expand until limited by the stitched together portions of the layers -2'- which serve to hold the springs under uniform tension by reason of the uniform distance apart of the stitching which causes the ends of the springs and adjacent portions of the fabric to lie in substantially parallel planes. I

4 This operation of assembling the springs in their respective loops 4- causes the stitched portions of the opposite layers to fold inwardly toward each other lengthwise of and between adjacent sides of the springs ,with the stitching. substantially .midway between th'e'ends of the springs. i

This inward folding of the portions of the strip between the springs forms what may be termed, double thickness folds 8 between the springs of each sheath 2 it being understood that the extreme outer ends of-the strips -2-- will be similarly stitched to close the corresponding ends of the adjacent loops.

After a sufficient number of these inner sheaths -2 have been filled with springs in the manner described corresponding to the number of loops 4 in the outer sheath -1, the loops of the outer sheath are opened one at a time and the inner sheath with the springs therein are more or less compressed by hand or any other suitable means, is inserted endwise in the opened loop after which the springs are allowed to expand to distend the walls of the loop 4.

In like manner, each loop 4iof the outer sheathing 1 is filled with a springcoutaining sheath which, when the springs are expanded, causes the opposed portions of the opposite members 1 to assume substantially parallel planes.

The expansion of the several loops -:l by the spi'ingcontaining sheaths therein, are limited by the lines of stitching 3- which also causes those portions of the inner and outer layers of the outer sheathing to be drawn inwardly toward each other between .the springs of the several rows thereby producing double thickness folds 8- between the adjacent faces of the several rows of springs.

The outer sheath l, stitched in the manner described, constitutes what may be termed the outer cellular structure, while the inne sheathing -2 stitched in the manner described, constitutes what may be termed, the inner cellular structure so that when the two structures are assembled, their cells will extend at right angles to each .other, or in other words, the cells of the inner structure will extend transversely of the cells of the outer structure, and therefore, the double thickness folds of one structure will extend at right angles to or transversely of those of the other structure so that each spring is surrounded on four sides with double thickness fabric walls, except the outer faces of the outermost springs which of course, will be walls of single thickness.

The ends of the springs will also be covered with double thicknesses of fabric and together with the double thickness fabric between the adjacent faces of the several springs, serves to prevent the helices of the springs from overlapping one upon the other, to resist compression by lateral thrust and at the same time, binds the entire assembly of springs together in a single upholstery unit inwhich the springs are held in parallelism and against lateral displacement Without in any way reducing their axial resiliency.

After the cellular structures, with the springs therein have been assembled in the manner described, the adjacent sides of the end helices of the springs are secured together and to the adjacent portions of the fabric by cords, -9- to additionally secure the springs of their cells, and also to tie the cells to each other and thereby increase the bond between the several cells.

Another advantage of the folds, particularly, those of the outer cellular structure is that the upholstering may be made to readily conform to various curves as for example, around the arms of chairs or settees or varying contours of the back of a couch or similar piece of furniture without in any way affecting the normal resiliency and equal resiliency of the springs.

The construction shown in Figure 7 is quite similar to that previously described except that the outer cellular structure instead of being made of sheets or layers coextensive with the area of the surface to be upholstered, are made in sections corresponding in width to approximately the length of each individual cell of the cellular structure.

That is, the outer cellular structure is composed of a series of cellular sections -1() arranged side by side with their cells registering with each other to permit the cellular structures to be threaded therethrough so that the springs will be arranged within the cells of each section 10-, whereby the folds 8 and -8'- surround the four sides of each spring except along the outer edges of the cellular structures which will he of single thickness as previously explained.

I claim:

1. In a spring cushion, a row of coiled springs arranged in parallelspaced relation, opposed fabric strips extending across opposite ends of the springs and portions thereof folded between the springs and stitched together, and additional fabric strips extending across the outer faces of the firstnamed strips and adjacent ends of the springs and stitched together at opposite sides of the row.

2. In a spring cushion, opposed fabric strips stitched together along spaced parallel lines to form a tubular cell open at both ends, a coiled spring within the cell having its ends seated against the opposed strips, additional opposed strips extending transversely across the outer faces of the first-named strips and stitched together at the open ends of the cell for closing the same.

3. In a spring cushion of the character described, a row of coiled springs arranged in parallel spaced relation, fabric strips extending across opposite ends of the springs and into the intervening spaces to form tubular cells open at both ends and additional fabric strips extending transversely across the outer faces of the first-named strips and adjacent ends of the springs and secured together at the outer ends of the cells.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of February, 1924.

VILLIAM LEWIS. 

